Categories

Chocolate Ricotta Mousse

September 28, 2011 ·
As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Ghirardelli, I was given the opportunity to sample several of Ghirardelli Intense Dark chocolates, including Midnight Reverie, which is 86% cacao.   I thought, what better way to highlight this deliciously dark chocolate than to make it into mousse! 
I love the elegance of chocolate mousse, but have a hard time eating or serving it due to the amount of cream or half and half, etc. it typically contains.  As a healthier alternative, I have had my eye on a recipe for Chocolate Ricotta Mousse for quite a while. 

 

 
We enjoyed Chocolate Ricotta Mousse, but found that it is very important to approach this mousse as “mousse.” It is made with ricotta cheese, so accordingly expect the texture to be a little grainy (like ricotta).  In return, you get a delicious, light, chocolaty dessert that is higher in protein and lower in calories and fat than its traditional counterpart.

The original recipe calls for cocoa powder, which I substituted for an equivalent amount of Ghirardelli’s Midnight Reverie chocolate. Since this chocolate already contains some sugar, I reduced the amount of sugar in the mousse by half. The result was a perfect balance of sweetness. 

Chocolate Ricotta Mousse
Yields 6 servings
15 oz low fat ricotta cheese (room temperature)
1 ounce dark chocolate (melted and cooled), such as Ghirardelli Midnight Reverie 
OR  3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 egg whites (room temperature)
1/4 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Coarse salt
Cocoa powder, for serving (optional)
Whipped topping, for serving (optional)
  1. In a food processor, process ricotta and chocolate until smooth.  Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
  2. Place egg whites, sugar and a pinch of salt in a medium heat proof bowl set over simmering water.  Whisk constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm (about 3 minutes).  Remove from heat and beat mixture (using an electric mixer) on high until stiff glossy peaks form (about 5 minutes).
  3. With a rubber spatula, gently fold egg mixture into ricotta mixture until combined. 
  4. Divide mousse among 6 glasses or bowls.  Refrigerate 3 hours (or up to 1 day).  Serve dusted with cocoa powder or with a dollop of whipped topping, if desired.
Adapted from Everyday Food
Disclaimer: While this is not my formal write up of my experience with Ghirardelli chocolate, I feel obligated to disclose the following: “As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I was provided with Ghirardelli chocolate for free. The details of my experience are exclusively my opinion, and I was not otherwise influenced or compensated.” I will be sharing a full write up of my experience later this week.
Filed Under: dessert, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Brown Sugar Brownies

September 26, 2011 ·

Back in college, I had a recipe for Brown Sugar Brownies.  They were honestly the best brownies I’ve ever had (aside from my grandmother’s of course). I still remember them, but that was ages ago, and sadly my dear recipe is long gone.  Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I was in the middle of baking and ran out of brown sugar.  Mike went on an emergency brown sugar run for me.  When he set the bag down on the counter, it happened to be recipe-side up (hmm…do you think that was intentional?).  What did I see?  Brown Sugar Brownies!

Quick and easy to prepare, this recipe makes a delicious brownie that is more fudgy than cakey.  In fact, they are light and airy and almost melt in your mouth.  Now, I used dark chocolate that I received from the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Ghiardelli.  This would be delicious using unsweetened per the original recipe, but I was pleasantly susprised at the results with what I used.  I also used light butter, which has half the fat and calories of regular butter.  I like using light butter when I can, because if it works why not, right? 

Now for the best part.  If I told you these brownies were under 115 calories each, would you believe it?  I hardly believed it myself!  I did the calculation a few days after making them (and after I had already eaten a few bars).  I was eating half a brownie each time because I expected they would come in a lot higher.   I did the calculation once, checked it again.  It’s true.  These babies clock in around 112!

Brown Sugar Brownies
Yields 16 brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) light butter, melted and cooled
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 ounces unsweetened OR dark chocolate (such as Ghirardelli Twilight Delight), melted, cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
powdered sugar (optional)

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until combined.
  3. Beat in eggs, adding one at at time. 
  4. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla.
  5. Gently fold in flour, until combined.
  6. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely.  Cut into squares, and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Adapted from back of sugar bag (recipe found here here)

Disclaimer: While this is not my formal write up of my experience with Ghirardelli chocolate, I feel obligated to disclose the following:  “As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I was provided with Ghirardelli chocolate for free.  The details of my experience are exclusively my opinion, and I was not otherwise influenced or compensated.”  I will be sharing a full write up of my experience later this week. 

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Brown Sugar Coconut Blueberry Muffins

September 23, 2011 ·

The hunt for tasty ways to use the remainder of our blueberries continues.  It’s not a bad problem to have, that’s for sure.  We have been happily enjoying Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, lots of blueberries in Greek yogurt, and many other treats.  But it was time to make something new.  I already have several blueberry muffin recipes that I love, but when I found a blueberry muffin recipe using brown sugar and buttermilk, I knew it would become an instant favorite.

While the recipe looked nearly perfect as-is, I decided to add a little twist and use coconut oil instead of canola oil.  This was my first time using coconut oil, but I had high hopes it would be the perfect addition to these muffins.

The coconut oil imparts a delicious coconut flavor to the muffins, which works beautifully with the tangy blueberries.  The muffins are incredibly moist as well.  Score for the coconut oil, and score for another fantastic recipe for blueberry muffins!

Brown Sugar Coconut Blueberry Muffins
 
Print
Yields: 12 muffins
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil (or canola oil)
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar, for topping
  • 2 teaspoons sweetened flaked coconut, for topping
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
  2. In a large bowl, stir flour, sugar and baking powder.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until well blended.
  4. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture, stirring gently until just combined.
  5. Gently fold in blueberries.
  6. Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups. Top each muffin with a sprinkle of brown sugar and a sprinkle of coconut.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Brown Sugar Coconut Blueberry Muffins
Yields 12 muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/3 cup coconut oil (or canola oil)
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 teaspoons brown sugar, for topping
2 teaspoons sweetened flaked coconut, for topping

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
  2. In a large bowl, stir flour, sugar and baking powder.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until well blended.
  4. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture, stirring gently until just combined.
  5. Gently fold in blueberries.
  6. Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups.  Top each muffin with a sprinkle of brown sugar and a sprinkle of coconut.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Babble

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
Tortellini Soup with Chunky Tomatoes and Spinach - made in less than 30 minutes!

Tortellini Soup with Chunky Tomatoes and Spinach

September 20, 2011 ·
Tortellini Soup with Chunky Tomatoes and Spinach - made in less than 30 minutes!
(Photos updated 2/23/2012)

As the weather turns cooler, we find ourselves gravitating toward soups, chili, baked pasta, all of those warm comfort foods. I have had a vision for this tortellini soup for quite a while, but simply have not had an opportunity to execute it. Until now…

Filled with healthy vegetables and hearty tortellini, Tortellini Soup with Chunky Tomatoes and Spinach is the perfect comfort food for a crisp fall day, or any day for that matter.  And guess what?  It can be made in under 30 minutes!  Had I realized that, this soup would have been made long ago.
Tortellini Soup with Chunky Tomatoes and Spinach

I put a range of 4 to 6 cups for the broth, so you can adjust to your preference. I like my soup on the chunkier side, so 4 cups of broth yielded the perfect consistency for me. I also used frozen spinach, which worked really well.   I recommend using both low sodium broth and tomatoes, so you can control the sodium by adding salt to taste.

As a great weeknight dinner, or a quick any time meal, we are looking forward to enjoying this soup all fall/winter long, and I hope you will too!

Tortellini Soup with Chunky Tomatoes and Spinach
 
Print
Yields: 3 to 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 to 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) low sodium diced tomatoes, including juices
  • 9-10 ounces tortellini (fresh or frozen), any variety
  • 1½ teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
  • 10 ounces fresh or frozen spinach, chopped (if frozen, thaw and squeeze out excess moisture)
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. In a dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion for 5-7 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic, and saute for 1 minute.
  2. Add broth and tomatoes. Turn heat to high, cover and bring to a boil.
  3. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.
  4. Within the last minute of cooking the tortellini, stir in Italian herb seasoning, crushed red pepper and spinach. Taste, and add salt and pepper seasoning, as desired.
  5. Serve immediately, garnishing each bowl with Parmesan cheese.

 

Adapted from Food Network

Filed Under: Featured, healthy, Recipes, soup, vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , ,

Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

September 16, 2011 ·

One of my favorite things about birthdays is birthday cake. Especially making birthday cakes! The birthday person chooses a cake or simply gives me inspiration.  Then I try to make the best cake I can.  When it came time to choose my birthday cake, believe me, it was a tough decision. My head was still in zucchini-mode. I love pineapple, and I love cream cheese. So I was on zucchini, pineapple, and cream cheese mission. Seems easy enough, right? 

I researched a few recipes until deciding on this one, and made a few changes, reflected below.  The frosting is a nice balance of cinnamon and cream cheese and the perfect complement to the cupcakes.  There are chunks of pineapple and hints of coconut and zucchini in the cake.  They are healthy and come in under 200 calories.  Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting made the perfect birthday treat!

* REMINDER:  MAGAZINE GIVEAWAY ENDS TONIGHT!  GO HERE TO ENTER!  *

Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Yields 18 cupcakes

Cake:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt  (optional)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini (squeeze out some of the moisture)
20 ounce can of pineapple tidbits or crushed in juice, drained (I used tidbits for chunkier pieces)

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 18 standard muffin cups with paper liners (fill the empty cups halfway with water). 
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt (if using) and cinnamon.  Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir together oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended.  Add zucchini and pineapple and mix until combined.
  4. Add zucchini mixture to dry ingredients and gently fold until combined.  (Note: Batter will be thick).
  5. Divide batter evenly among 18 muffin cups.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

Frosting:

8 ounces Neufchâtel (1/3 less fat) cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

  1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. 
  2. Pipe or spread frosting on cupcakes, as desired. 

Note:  If not serving immediately, cupcakes/frosting should be refrigerated.  Otherwise, the frosting gets too soft.  When serving after refrigeration, let cupcake sit out for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.  (They are good straight from the fridge, however…if you can’t wait like me!)  🙂

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 cupcake and 1/18 frosting)
Calories: 190 ~ Fat: 6g ~ Carbs: 33.6g ~ Fiber 2.9g ~ Protein: 3.2g

Adapted from Skinny Taste

Filed Under: healthy, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

The Best Chicken Sate with Peanut Sauce

September 12, 2011 ·

I am very excited to share this recipe with you.  It is my most requested dish, a family favorite, and it’s healthy too.  It is without a doubt The Best Chicken Sate with Peanut Sauce ever!

 
As you’ll notice, the marinade and sauce use many of the same ingredients.  For ease, I place the prep bowls side by side and prepare them in tandem.  I measure brown sugar for each, put it away; soy sauce for each, put it away, etc.  They end up like this (marinade on left, sauce on right).

This Chicken Sate with Peanut Sauce is definitely worthy of a special occasion, but with some advance prep work it can also be a nice weeknight dinner.  The chicken is best when given ample time to marinate (overnight works well).  I typically use chicken breast tenders and do not thread them on skewers to save myself the extra step.  The result is a delicious Asian-inspired dish with a little spicy kick.  

The Best Chicken Sate with Peanut Sauce
Yields 4 servings

1 pound boneless/skinless chicken tenders (or chicken breast cut into strips)

Sate/Marinade:
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3-4 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1 tablepoon lime juice

Peanut Sauce:
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter (chunky or smooth)

skewers (optional)
cooking spray

Note: if using wooden skewers, soak for at least 30 minutes prior to grilling.

  1. Put chicken in a Ziploc bag.
  2. Prepare sate: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, red pepper flakes, ginger, and lime juice. 
  3. Add sate to chicken in bag, making sure chicken is well coated.  Place in refrigerator to marinate (4 hours up to 2 days; ideal time is around 10-15 hours)
  4. Prepare sauce:  In a separate dish, mix together brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, red pepper flakes, lime zest and peanut butter.  Stir until combined.  Refrigerate until within 30 minutes of serving.
  5. Cooking:  Preheat grill.  Thread chicken on skewers, if using. 
  6. Place chicken on grill coated with cooking spray (or foil tray).  Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until chicken is done.  Serve with sauce.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Banana Cinnamon Chip Muffins

September 8, 2011 ·

If there is one thing we always have plenty of in this house, it’s bananas.  Whenever we run low, Mike is quick to run to the store to replenish our stash.  It didn’t take him long to learn that there is no such thing as too many bananas.  A surplus of bananas means baking bananas, which means treats!  As I write this, I have a bowlful of overripe bananas waiting to be mashed, whipped, mixed, baked into something delicious.

To completely change subjects – have I told you about my baking chip collection?  I have a thing for baking chips.  I love buying chips in anticipation of creating new and exciting treats, but life (i.e. a busy toddler) usually gets in the way of those plans.   I decided it was time for a self-intervention.  I must begin baking my way through this collection,…starting with these cinnamon chips.

So the two stories come together…in the form of Banana Cinnamon Chip Muffins.   These muffins are a delicious and healthy option, made partly with whole wheat flour.  They are also made using 3 bananas, which means you can use less oil.  The cinnamon chips add just a little extra something that make these muffins special.  But if cinnamon is not your thing, these would be great with chocolate chips (mmm, or even peanut butter chips!).

These muffins are moist and delicious.  They are all I hoped for and more…yet I ended up doing more with them.  I made half of the recipe as just Banana Cinnamon Chip Muffins.  Tomorrow I will share with you what I did with the other half of the recipe! 😉

Banana Cinnamon Chip Muffins
Yields 12 standard muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 ripe mashed bananas
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup cinnamon chips (or chocolate chips)

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease or line 12 standard muffins cups.  Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.  Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix the bananas, oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until combined. 
  4. Fold banana mixture into flour mixture until just blended (do not over mix).  Add cinnamon chips, and fold gently until combined.
  5. Distribute batter evenly among muffin cups.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Keep Your Diet Real

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Triple Chocolate Malted Cookies

September 6, 2011 ·

The baby was asleep. The husband was out to dinner. What’s a girl to do? Make Triple Chocolate Malted Cookies, of course!

I haven’t made cookies in ages, and these just happen to be one of Mike’s favorites. Actually, after one bite, they quickly become everybody’s favorite. These cookies are soft, chewy, and chocolaty with a hint of malted milk flavor.

The dough is quite sticky, but becomes much more managable after chilling it in the refrigerator. It is also key to either line your cookie sheet, or spray it with cooking spray. Otherwise the cookies have a tendency to stick. 

Despite the minor challenges presesented by a sticky dough, these cookies are worth every effort. They are delicious and the perfect accompaniment to a cold glass of milk!

Triple Chocolate Malted Cookies
Yields approximately 30 cookies

1 cup brown sugar, packed
6 tablespoons chocolate malted milk powder
5 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

  1. In a large bowl, combine sugar, malted milk powder, butter, syrup, vanilla and egg; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking soda.  Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients, stirring (or beating at low speed) until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.
  3. Chill dough for 30 minutes to overnight.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  5. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes.  [Cookies will appear puffy when first taken out of the oven]  Cool on pan for 2 minutes or until firm.  Remove cookies and cool on a wire rack.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,